POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 15 June 2014

Video

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, which leads us to contemplate and worship the divine life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: a life of communion and perfect love, origin and aim of all the universe and of every creature: God. We also recognize in the Trinity the model for the Church, in which we are called to love each other as Jesus loved us. And love is the concrete sign that demonstrates faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And love is the badge of the Christian, as Jesus told us: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). It’s a contradiction to think of Christians who hate. It’s a contradiction. And the devil always seeks this: to make us hate, because he’s always a troublemaker; he doesn’t know love; God is love!

We are all called to witness and proclaim the message that “God is love”, that God isn’t far and insensitive to our human affairs. He is close to us, always beside us, walking with us to share our joys and our sorrows, our hopes and our struggles. He loves us very much and for that reason he became man, he came into the world not to condemn it, but so the world would be saved through Jesus (cf. Jn 3:16-17). And this is the love of God in Jesus, this love that is so difficult to understand but that we feel when we draw close to Jesus. And he always forgives us, he always awaits us, he loves us so much. And we feel the love of Jesus and the love of God.

The Holy Spirit, gift of the Risen Jesus, conveys divine life to us and thus lets us enter into the dynamism of the Trinity, which is a dynamism of love, of communion, of mutual service, of sharing. A person who loves others for the very joy of love is a reflection of the Trinity. A family in which each person loves and helps one another is a reflection of the Trinity. A parish in which each person loves and shares spiritual and material effects is a reflection of the Trinity.

True love is boundless, but it knows how to limit itself, to interact with others, to respect the freedom of others. Every Sunday we go to Mass, we celebrate the Eucharist together and the Eucharist is like the “burning bush” in which the Trinity humbly lives and communicates; for this reason the Church placed the feast of Corpus Domini after that of the Trinity. Next Thursday, according to Roman tradition, we’ll celebrate Holy Mass at the Basilica of St John Lateran and then, we’ll have the procession with the Most Holy Sacrament. I invite all Romans and pilgrims to participate in order to express our desire to be “a people made one in the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (St Cyprian). I await everyone next Thursday at 7:00 pm, for the Mass and the Corpus Christi Procession.

May the Virgin Mary, perfect creation of the Trinity, help us to make our whole lives, in small gestures and more important choices, an homage to God, who is Love.

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After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters, I’ve been following with deep concern the recent events in Iraq. I ask you all to join in my prayer for the beloved Iraqi nation, especially for the victims and for those who are suffering most from the consequences of the growing surge of violence, in particular for the many people, among them many Christians, who have had to leave their homes. I hope for the entire population safety and peace, and a future of reconciliation and justice in which all Iraqis, regardless of religious affiliation, may build their homeland together, creating a model of coexistence. Let us pray to Our Lady, all of us together for the Iraqi people.

I’d like to announce today that, accepting the invitation of the Bishops and Civil Authorities of Albania, I will be going to Tirana on Sunday, 21 September. With this brief journey I wish to confirm in faith the Church in Albania and witness my encouragement and love to a Country which has long suffered the consequences of past ideologies.

Today, a special thought goes out to domestic workers and caregivers, who come from many parts of the world and perform a priceless service for families, especially in caring for the elderly and for those who are not self-sufficient. So often we don’t justly value the great and good work they do for families. Many thanks to you!

And to everyone I wish a nice Sunday and a good lunch. And don’t forget to pray for me! Arrivederci!